The cost and the value of treatment of medication overuse headache in Italy: a longitudinal study based on patient-derived data.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The cost of medication overuse headache (MOH) is underestimated. Our aim was to address the cost-effectiveness of a structured treatment protocol and to present annual cost estimates. METHODS: Patients were enrolled on the occasion of a structured treatment protocol, were administered a research protocol addressing direct and indirect costs and were followed up for 3 months. RESULTS: Of 176 enrolled patients, 138 completed the study. The 3-month cost per patient fell from €2989 to €1160: the difference was €696 per month for patients treated in the ward and €466 for those treated in day-hospital; thus it takes 2-3 months to compensate for the protocol's cost. The per-person annual costs of MOH were €10 533 (95% confidence interval €8700-12 406): direct healthcare costs accounted for 44.8% and indirect costs for 51.5% of the total MOH cost. The annual MOH cost for Italy is estimated at €13.5 billion (95% confidence interval €11.1-15.9 billion). CONCLUSION: The cost of MOH around the period of a structured treatment protocol is much higher compared to previous estimates. Our protocol is cost-effective for reducing the economic burden of MOH.

Economic benefits of treating medication-overuse headache - results from the multicenter COMOESTAS project.

BACKGROUND: Medication-overuse headache is a costly disease for individuals and society. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of medication-overuse headache treatment on direct and indirect headache-related health care costs. METHODS: This prospective longitudinal study was part of the COMOESTAS project (COntinuous MOnitoring of Medication Overuse Headache in Europe and Latin America: development and STAndardization of an Alert and decision support System). Patients with medication-overuse headache were included from four European and two Latin American headache centers. Costs of acute medication, costs of health care services, and measurements of productivity were calculated at baseline and at 6-month follow-up Treatment consisted of overused drug withdrawal with optional preventive medication. RESULTS: A total of 475 patients (71%) completed treatment and were followed up for 6 months. Direct health care costs were on average reduced significantly by 52% ( p < 0.001) for the total study population. Significant reductions were seen in both number of consumed tablets (-71%, p < 0.001) and number of visits to physicians (-43%, p < 0.001). Fifty percent of patients reduced their number of consumed tablets ≥ 80%. Headache-related productivity loss, calculated either as absence from work or ≥ 50% reduction of productivity during the workday, were reduced by 21% and 34%, respectively ( p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Standardized treatment of medication-overuse headache in six countries significantly reduced direct health care costs and increased productivity. This emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness of the value of treating medication-overuse headache. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (no. NCT02435056).

Cost of medication overuse headache in Italian patients at the time-point of withdrawal: a retrospective study based on real data.

The objective was to assess the cost of Medication Overuse Headache (MOH) at the time-point of withdrawal treatment. We implemented a protocol in which both direct and indirect cost were directly gathered from patients and referred to the previous three months. Direct costs were calculated by medications for acute treatment and prophylaxis, diagnostic procedures, visits, complementary treatments, informal care. Indirect costs were referred to missed workdays and workdays with reduced productivity: we asked patients to refer their salaries and to rate the overall level of performance in days worked with reduced productivity, and we calculated indirect costs on this basis. A total of 135 patients were enrolled: direct costs were around 415€/month; indirect costs were 530€/month, and were mostly due to presenteeism (350€, 66.3%) rather than to absenteeism (160€, 33.7%). Our data showed higher cost than those of a previous study: this is likely due to a different approach to cost definition, to the inclusion of direct non-medical cost, and of non-pharmacological treatments.

Triptan overuse in the Dutch general population: a nationwide pharmaco-epidemiology database analysis in 6.7 million people.

INTRODUCTION: A population-based observational study was used to assess the prevalence, demographics, risk factors, and costs of triptan overuse, defined as more than 30 (International Headache Society criteria) or 54 (stringent criteria) defined daily doses per 3 months. METHODS: Analysis of the Dutch Health Care Insurance Board Database for 2005, which included prescriptions for 6.7 million people (46% of the total Dutch population). RESULTS: Triptans were used by 85,172 (1.3%) people; of these, 8,844 (10.4%; 95% CI 10.2-10.6) were overusers by International Headache Society and 2,787 (3.3%; 95% CI 3.2-3.4) were overusers by stringent criteria. The triptan-specific odds ratios for the rate of International Headache Society overuse compared with sumatriptan were: 0.26 (95% CI 0.19-0.36) for frovatriptan; 0.34 (95% CI 0.32-0.37) for rizatriptan; 0.76 95% CI 0.68-0.85) for naratriptan; 0.86 (95% CI 0.72-1.02) for eletriptan; 0.97 (95% CI 0.88-1.06) for zolmitriptan; and 1.49 (95% CI 1.31-1.72) for almotriptan. Costs for overuse were 29.7 million euros; for the International Headache Society criteria this was 46% of total costs and for stringent criteria it was 23%. DISCUSSION: In the Dutch general population, 1.3% used a triptan in 2005, of which 10.3% were overusers and accounted for half of the total costs of triptans. Users of frovatriptan, rizatriptan and naratriptan had a lower level of overuse.